Pneumatic kite



Oct. 25, 1949. M. HAAS 2,486,158

PNEUMATIC KITE Filed May 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V' N TOR. M m? an Hugs M. HAAS PNEUMATIC KITE Oct. 25, 1949.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1948 INVENTOR. Mm 0RD HAAs Patented Oct. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE PNEUMATIC KITE Milford Haas, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 5, 1948, Serial No. 25,125

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in kites.

More specifically, the present invention relates to kites of the non-rigid type constructed of a hollow body of elastometric plastic film or thin rubber sheeting filled with air or buoyant gas, and so designed that the gaseous contents of the hollow body will maintain the shape of the kite, without the use of rigid stiffening members or frame work of any kind, and which will maintain itself flying under normal conditions when equipped with a pull string or holding cord, so that the kite will be forced upwardly by the action of air pressure against it, and will retain its position at a high elevation under such air pressure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a kite construction which will resist breakage and destruction under normal service conditions, or from mishandling either on the ground or in storage, or when flying under high wind stress, or from collision with other objects, such as trees, houses and other obstructions likely to be encountered during flying.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kite of non-rigid construction of flexible and elastic material, which will absorb and resist shocks from normal use and from abuse, and which will resume its normal shape, due to its inherent elasticity and non-rigid construction, after it has been temporarily deformed in use by excessive wind pressure or pressures from any other causes, and which will effectively resist rupture from external causes likely to be encountered in flying or in handling.

Still further, the present invention proposes a kite which can be readily deflated, and when deflated, folded into a compact unit which may be conveniently carried in ones pocket, shipped in a small container or envelope, stored in a minimum of space, and which will lose none of its service qualities when opened up and inflated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a kite having its body constructed of extremely light and flexible material, which is rendered buoyant in the atmosphere by a charge of air or a buoyant gas, and which will expand due to its inherent elasticity to increase the flying efliciency of the kite and to reduce its net weight in the atmosphere, so that it is capable of flying in low velocity winds, which would prohibit ordinary kites from flying.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanyin drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

t Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the inven- Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the kite in flying position, illustrating the connecting strings and the pull cord or string.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional View, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of still another form of the invention.

Fig. '7 isa longitudinal view, taken on line 1-! of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of still another modified form.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view, taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiments of the present invention, and first to the modification shown in Figures 1 to 3, wherein the reference numeral l0 designates a kite body which is constructed from two similar sheet sections I l and 12 of thin waterproof elastic plastic sheeting or thin elastic rubber sheeting.

The body I!) is formed with downwardly converging tubular side bars 13 and I4, a tubular central longitudinal bar [5, inwardly converging tubular top bars l6 and I1, and tubular intermediate air foil or internal wing section bars l8 and I9, which are spaced from the converging upper bars 16 and H, to provide normally open air passages 2i! and 2!, adjacent to the upper tubular bars I 6 and IT, and additional normally open air passages or openings 22 and 23, adjacent the lower end portions of the converging tubular bars l3 and M and the central tubular bar [5.

The inner marginal edge portions of the tubular bars l6 and I1 and of the internal wing sections l8 and I9, which are also tubular or hollow, bounding the air passages or openings 20 and 2| are united to each other by electronic welding or fusion, or by heat sealing or cementing, preferably with external pressure. The portions of the wing sections l8 and IS, the converging tubular bars l3 and I4 and the adjacent 3. portions of the central tubular bar [5, bounding the lower air passages or openings 22 and 23 are bonded to each other by electronic welding or sealing, or by heat sealing or cementing, preferably with external pressure, so as to close all of the tubular bars and the wing sections from communication with the air spaces or passages through the body of the hollow non-rigid kite. By this internal sealing or cementing internal seams 25 are formed.

The external meeting edges of the two sheets or plies which form the hollow kite body ID, are bonded to each other by electronic or heat sealing or fusion, or by cementing so as to permanently unite the outer marginal portions of the elastic plastic sheets, or in the case of elastic rubber sheets to each other. By this sealing or cementing external seams 24 are formed.

The air spaces or passages 20 and 2| are considerably wider than the lower air spaces 22 and 23, and tend to relieve wind pressure against the buoyant upper tubes 16 and I1, and against the upper leading edges 18* and l9 of the internal wing sections 18 and I9, which are approximately stream lined in vertical cross section, so as to provide thin trailing bottom edges {8 and [9 for said wing sections.

The two sheets or layers II and I 2 are extended to provide divergent tabs 26 and 21, and the tab 26 is provided with an Opening 26 and the tab 21 is provided with an opening 21*. Additional tabs 28 and 29 are formed on the outer marginal portions of the sheets or plies II and I2, near the widest part of the kite, which is of general triangular shape, and the tab 28 is formed with a string opening 28*, and the tab 29 is formed with a string opening 29*. Additional tabs 33- and 3| are formed on the lower marginal portions of the sheets II and I2, and diverge from each other, and the tab 30 is formed with an opening w and the tab 3| is formed with an opening (H The upper end of the central tubular bar [5 is extended above the top tubular bars l6 and i7, and the lower end of the tubular bar 15 is extended below the converging bars I3 and M. The openings, formed of the two sheets or layers of elastic plastic sheet material, or of elastic rubber sheet material, are die cut to provide the air passages 20 and 2| and 22 and 23, and the profile edges of the different tubular bars and internal wing sections.

In electronic or heat sealing or in cementing the marginal inner and outer edges of the die cut sections of the sheet material, the tubular bars iii, !1, I 3, l4 and i5, and the internal tubular wing sections l8 and I9 are placed in communication with each other.

The hollow body thus formed, with a generally triangular outer tubular frame, made up by the top tubular bars l6 and IT, and the converging bars [3 and I l, and which is reinforced against lateral and longitudinal displacement by the internal wing sections i8 and I9, and the central tubular bar I5, is formed with an inflating nipple or tube 32, which is provided with a constricting device 33 of any conventional type, which may be rubber band or metal clamp.

The hollow kite forming body may be charged with air or a buoyant gas such as helium, which is not combustible, and the use of which is permissible under most fire regulations.

As shown in Fig. 3, the free ends of the tabs 26 and 21 and the free ends of the tabs 30 and 31 are bent around the edge of the kite body so as to superimpose the openings 26 and 21*- of the tabs 26 and 21 and to superimpose the openings 30 and 31 of the tabs 30 and 3|. The tabs 26 and 27 and the tabs 30 and 3| are then connected together by engaging eyelets or grommets 34 through the superimposed openings 26 and 2'1 and 30 and 3|". A single string 35 is loosely extended between the eyelets or grommets 34 and is secured in position. A holding string 36 then has one end attached to the string 35 intermediate its ends, but more closely adjacent the top of the kite.

The tabs 28 and 29 are bent about to the opposite face of the kite body and a single string 31 is secured in position between the openings 28*- and 29 of the tabs 28 and 29. The string 31 is somewhat shorter than the normal distance between the openings 28*- and 29 so as to hold the kite in a laterally bound condition so as to improve the stability of the kite when in flight.

In Figs. 4 and 5, there is shown a modified form of the invention, wherein the kite 40 comprises a triangular tubular frame formed from two similar sheets of elastic plastic sheeting, or elastic sheet rubber, and cut out by die cutting operations, to provide a body having a central tubular bar 55, converging side tubular bars and 56, top tubular bars 41 and 48.

The triangular areas between the outer tubular frame and the central tubular bar 44 are closed by thin films or webs 49 and 50, which may be formed out of one of the sheets or layers which forms the hollow kite body, as in the construction shown in Fig. l, or by interposing a thin film between the two die cut body sections, as shown in Fig. 4. Tabs 52 and 53 are formed on the two die cut sections at the top of the kite body, tabs 54 and 55 are formedon these body sections at the widest part thereof, and tabs 56 and 51 are formed on these sections at the lowest part thereof. A nipple 58 is provided on the lower end of the central tube bar 54 for inflating the hollow body with air or a buoyant gas, such as helium.

Internal edge seams 5| are formed between the two sections of the body, and external seams 5! are also formed, by electronic heat sealing, or by cementing.

In Figs. 6 and '7 there is shown a further modification of the invention, wherein the kite 50 is constructed from two similar die cut sections formed from elastic plastic sheet material, or from elastic rubber sheet material, to provide the external edge seams 6i and the internal edge seams 62. The body 60 is formed with normally open slots 63 on opposite sides thereof, and normally open slots 64 on opposite sides thereof, which are located below the slots or openings 63.

The body isformed with a triangular tubular frame 60* and a central tubular bar 65, which'is connected with and which communicates with the tubular cross bars 66 and 67, and 58 and 69. Tabs i0 and H are formed on the upper end of the body 60, tabs 12 and 73 are formed on the sides of the body Eli, and tabs M and 15 are formed on the lower end of the body. A nipple T6 is provided on the lower end of the central tubular bar for inflating and deflating the kite body. The triangular areas 11 and 18, on opposite sides of the lower portion of the central tubular bar, are shown closed by the sheet sections which form the kite body 60.

Figs. 8 and 9 disclose still another modified form of the present invention, wherein a kite body is formed from companion sheet sections 8| and 82 of elastic plastic sheet material or from elastic sheet rubber. These sections have each a major lower area 89 in the form of a triangle, and a minor upper area 80 also in the form of a triangle.

A central tubular bar 83 is formed between the sections BI and 82, and an horizontal tubular bar 84, which intersects and communicates with the central tubular bar 83, is also formed between the two sections. The triangular areas Bll on opposite sides of the upper portion of the central tubular bar, are united along their edges to each other by electronic or heat sealing, or by cementing, to form connecting webs. The triangular areas 80 on opposite sides of the central bar 83 and below the horizontal tubular bar 88, are similarly united to each other along their edges by heat or electronic sealing, or by cementing. A flexible nipple 85 is connected to the lower end of the vertical tubular bar 83 for inflating and deflating the hollow cruxiform body of the kite.

A single tab 86 is integrally formed on the upper end of the kite body 60, a single tab 8'! is integrally formed on one side of the body and another single tab 88 is integrally formed on the other side of the body, and a single tab 89 is integrally formed on the lower end of the body.

In each of the latter forms of the invention, the tabs may be folded over and against the side of the kite body as described in connection with the first form of the invention, so that the necessary strings may be attached thereto, as hereinbefore described.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A hollow kite constructed of similar sections of sheet material secured together along their outer matching edges and along internal edges to provide a hollow outer frame and a central longitudinal hollow bar, the body being formed with airfoils between said central bar and the outer frame thereof, and being inflatable with air or buoyant gas.

2. A hollow kite comprising a body constructed of similar sections of elastic sheet material forming outer hollow tubes and a central longitudinal tube and having external and internal seamed edges, said body being formed with air passages on each side of the central tube and with internal wing sections between said air passages having a wedge shaped longitudinally extended crosssection to give a lifting effect under the influence of air flowing through said openings, and a collapsible nipple on said body for inflating the same with air or a buoyant gas.

3. A buoyant kite having a body constructed of a pair of sections united to each other, each section being constructed of elastic sheet ma.- terial and the sections being formed with a central tubular bar and tubular bar portions located outwardly of the central tubular bar and communicating therewith, and provided with a nipple for inflating and deflating said tubular bar and bar portions, and provided with string connecting members located at difierent points along the outer edges of the body.

4. A buoyant kite having two side walls formed of elastic plastic sheet material and united to each other to provide a central tubular bar and tubular bar portions extending laterally thereof and communicating with said central tubular bar, and further provided with webs between said bar portions and bar, a nipple connected with one of said bars to inflate and deflate the tubular bar and bar portions, and string connectors disposed on opposite portions of the kite.

MILFORD HAAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 117,270 Ferris July 25, 1871 2,134,282 Irvin Oct. 25, 1938 2,208,786 Astle July 23, 1940 2,380,914 Billeb Aug. 7, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 215,241 Germany Oct. 23, 1909 

